Sheet metal pillow block and method of producing it



July 3, 1934. R RUNGE 1,964,770

SHEET METAL PILLOW BLOCK AND METHOD OF PRODUCING IT Filed May 6, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ROBERT KEV/-05 42/4 ATTORNEY July 3, 1934. R,RUNGE 1,964,770

SHEET METAL PILLOW BLOCK AND METHOD OF PRODUCING IT Filed May 6, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Roamrfifiwvcg ar M A) ATTORNEY Patented July 3,1934 UNITED STATES ennui OFFICE SHEET METAL PILLOW BLOCK AND reunion orrnonuome r11 Robert F. Runge, Forest Hills Gardens, Long Island, N. Y.,assignor, by memo assignments,

to S K F Industries, 1110.,

Philadelphia, Pa, a

This invention relates to pillow blocks and more particularly to thoseformed from sheet metal, and has for an object to provide a substantial,light weight pillow block which can be manufactured at small cost andwhich will require a minimum of machining.

Another object of the invention is toiorm a pillow block from a singlepiece or sheet metal bent into form, the parts being welded together tofor the purpose of imparting rigidity to the structure. The variousdetailsoi construction are enumerated in the detailed description.

In the drawings accompanying this description: Figure 1 is an endelevation of one form or my improved pillow block.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. l. 1

Fig. 3 is a central section taken at about the plane of the lines 3--3in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a blank which has been stamped ready for bending into thecompletely formed pillow block, represented in Figs. 1 to 3.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of another form of my pillow block,

Fig. 6 represents a blank suitable for bending into this form, and

li igs. 7 and 8- are similar views pertaining to still another form.

The various blanks illustrated are shown on a.

39 smaller scale than are the finished housings which are supposed tohave been bent from such blanks.

The pillow block in its completed form comprises a substantiallycircular housing member 3 adapted to receive within it a bearing, as forinstance a self-contained anti-friction bearing, the inner face or wall8 of this housing member being shown substantially cylindrical. On eachside of the housing 7 there projects a foot. The ifeet 59 oi the Figs. 1to 3 form are shown as having been bent from the end portions it of ablanlr, see 4;, and the housing portion as formed from the mediumportion 11 oi the blank. The sheet metal blanlr is preferably first bentinto the form of the housing 7 and then is bent sharply back upon itselfat the regions 12, these being given such proportions that they meet, orapproximately meet, at the lower portion of the housing for a shortdistance before merging into the feet 9-9.

A short length 13 of the blank closely conforms to the outer wall 14 ofthe housing and then bends as at 15 at about the region at which itrnerges'into the foot portion. At about this region a tongue 16 is bentup from the foot portion into such a position that its corner 17engages, or approximately engages, the outer wall 14 of the housingportion. These tongues,- before being bent up, are illustrated at 18 inFig. 4. The sides 19 and ends 20 of the feet forming portions of go 7the blank are bent sharplydown forming a flange 21.

After the parts have been bent into shape the spaces between the ends ofthe tongues 16 and the wall 14 may be filled with weld metal by means ofsome welding operation as, represented at 22, thus making the end of thetongue integral with the housing portion '2. The spaces between the endsor bights l2-12 may similarly be filled in by weld metal as at 2323producing an integral structure and a closed housing; this alsointegrally bonds the feet carrying members 13 together. It will thus beseen that the feet are bonded together at the lower part oi thestructure and are also bonded to the sides of the housing.

After the welding operation has been ed the lower surfaces 24 of thefeet forming flanges 21 may be ground to reduce them to a. coon plane,and at the same time the parts or the elements 13 which project beyondthis plane are also ground for reducing them to the same com= men plane,25. it will be seen that reducing the surface 25 to the plane 24 of theunderside of the feet gives firm and rigid support at the lower part ofthe structure for the bearing which is housed within it. And also thatthis design produces a rigid structure, and one wherein the lower por=tion of the inner face 8 of the wall of the housing is brought low downin relation to the surfaces 24 of the feet.

The form of pillow block represented in Fig. 5 is bent from a plainsheet metal blank such as it illustrated in Fig. 6. The housing portionin is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. l. The feet portions31 however, are produced by the length 32 of the blank which ediatelyextends outwardly from the bight 12s. The end of the blank is then bentover the upper portion of this length 32, as at 33, and the extreme endoi the blank is bent sharply up, as at 3%, and. ap= proximately engagesthe outer wall 01 the housing member '10 to which it is integrallyunited by welding, the weld metal being represented at 35. The weldmetals 36 and 37 hold the two joints 1321 integrally together, the weldmetal as (l0ill-= pleting the inner face or wall 80 of the housing, andthe weld metal 37, together with the lower sides of the feet portions32, forms a continuous surface upon which the housing may rest.

Milt

The Fig. 5 design raises the inner portion of the housing and thesurface 80 and consequently the geometrical center of the housingfurther above the lower surface 38 upon which the device rests than doesthe form of design illustrated in Fig. 1.

The device illustrated in Fig. 7 shows the geometrical center of thehousing still further raised from the lower foot surface 40. In bendingthe blank for forming this latter design the extreme ends 41 of theblank, such as those illustrated at 42 in Fig. 8, are bent downwardlyand under the lengths 43 extending from the joints 121.

The steadying or stiffening struts- 44 are produced by bending up thestruck-up portions 45 of the blank and electrically welding these, as at46, to the outer surface of the housing portion'll.

It is to be understood that changes. in detail of construction may bemade within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A pillow block bent from a single sheet metal blank, the centerportion of the blank being formed for presenting a bearing housing,other portions of the blank extending laterally from the housing andforming feet, the ends of the blank being bent back upon the feetforming por tions, and extending to the adjacent sides of the housing,and weld metal bonding the parts together, the lowerfaces of the feetpresenting a substantially continuous engaging surface from end to end.I

2. A pillow block bent from a single sheet metal blank, the centerportion of the blank being formed for presenting a bearing housing,other portions of the blank extendinglaterally from the housing and thenbent back upon itself and under these portions for forming feet, andstay members struck up from the laterally extending portions anddirected toward the adjacent sides of the housing, and weld metalbonding the parts together.

3. A pillow block formed from a sheet metal blankfthere being a housingadapted to receive. within it a bearing and at each side of the housinga foot, such foot having been bent from the end portion of the blank andformed by bending sharply down the end and sides of the blank presentinga foot forming flange, the housing sitting low between the feet.

4. A pillow block bent from a single sheet metal blank, the centerportion of the blank being formed for presenting a bearing housing,other portions of the blank extending laterally from thev housing andthen bent back upon itself and under these portions for forming feet,and stay members struck up from the laterally extending, portions anddirected toward the adjacent sides of the housing,,andweld metal bondingthe parts together, the housing sitting high above the feet.

5. The method of producing a sheet metal 10C pillow block from a sheetmetal blank which consists in forming a portion of the blank into ahousing and sharply bending two other portions laterally thereoffor-forming feet and bringing the ends of the bights formed by suchbending '10! closely together, then welding such ends together, thenbending the blank back upon itself and extending the extreme ends towarde adjacent sides of the housing, and then welding such extreme ends tothe sides of the housing.

- ROBERT F. RUNGE.

